“Though this film has no distinct message, it paints Lil’ Wayne as somewhat of a troubled genius.”

Full review:

Lil Wayne. The name has become synonymous with revolutionary rap and shameless shirtlessness.

Sadly, “The Carter,” a documentary about the rapper, doesn’t do much in the line of breaking any preconceived notions that you may have about Weezy; one of the first scenes shows Dwayne Michael Carter rummaging through a suitcase filled with everything from a wad of hundred-dollar bills to a Vitamin Water bottle containing his infamous cough syrup.

Though this film has no distinct message, it paints Lil’ Wayne as somewhat of a troubled genius. Actually, the entire movie seems to be centered around the artist’s addiction to the medicated liquid and the effect that it has had on his relationships.

When it comes to his often prodigious music, he writes nothing down.

“I just record, man. Whatever, whenever, wherever. It doesn’t matter,” he said.

The rapper carries his recording gear everywhere, thinks up lyrics and records in front of plasma screens streaming an endless array of ESPN highlight reels.

The film briefly examines the day-to-day life of the highly publicized rap star, who flashes a smile bedecked with diamonds as he goes to interviews and records in hotel rooms and tour busses, but throws in a few interesting people who have insight into who Lil Wayne truly is. Perhaps the most surprising feature of this documentary is the special attention paid to the reactions of his young daughter to her father’s career and Weezy’s seemingly boundless need to continue to make music.

“What’s life without pressure?” he asked an interviewer. “The Carter” examines this very pressure, the struggles and the tensions that Lil Wayne has to deal with and, to a certain degree, has bred.

Die-hard Weezy fan or not, this film is short enough that you won’t swear off his music after you watch it but gives viewers eye-opening insight into his life. Watch it if you have ninety minutes to spare and let’s all hope that Lil Wayne doesn’t sell out and star in a big-budget movie about himself anytime soon.

The Beacon is University of Portland’s student run newspaper. Review archive.